A Quirk of Fate series
by bleeding heart in the fire
Summary: This has absolutely nothing to do with Sakura and Sasuke and team 7 etc. Sakura is a ninja assigned to find Sasuke, her assasinator before he himself finds her. The two meets at the most unexpected time and way. Will things change for them? SasuSaku? find


A/n: Ok, I am back to start the series of the one-shot I previously posted. Here is the first chapter, I still kept the same start of story, so people who read it, just read it again or skip it, whatever. But, around at the middle, I started to change it. Enjoy reading, but remember to review. Comment but without flames. Oh, and thank you to the reviewers of this story's prologue one-shot: **BWOLFY, darknessmistess, Frogger831, Shioku, seta-girl, Kaze no Shoujou.**

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Summary: Ok this has absolutely nothing to do with Sakura and Sasuke as part of team 7 etc etc. But this is a ninja story so here, Sakura has Sasuke for an assassinator and they meet each other at unexpected time and a strange way. Things might turn upside down for both of them. Just read! SasuSaku? Maybe. 

"words"

'thoughts'

(comments by me)

Disclaimer: don't own Naruto.

**A Quirk of Fate**

Chapter 1: Friend or fiend

* * *

She walked along the rocky path of the forest grounds, her hand clutching the pouch of weapons tied to the belt of her skirt. It was extremely foggy that day, and even her keen eyes could not see so much from it. But being a trained ninja, she could still feel around her through her sharp hearing. 

This was a mission entrusted to her and without companions. It was a danger to her since her mission was to find her assassinator first and bring it back to her village before it finds her. Her elders trusted her, and even if she agreed to the task reluctantly, she knew she has to do it for her own sake and good.

* * *

Even done so stealthily she sensed a definite series of quick paces behind her, coming towards her direction, with the movements of the rustling leaves parting toward the sides to let it through its way. She raised her red scarf just below her eyes and with one swift movement she was up in the air among the mist of the hollow branches of the trees, her kunai ready at hand. She remained calm and quiet though her pulse quickened and she struggled to see below for signs of movement. 

Suddenly and without warning, she felt the branch she was stepping on bend farther as more weight had been put to it. She gasped in surprise, whirling around just as her eyelids narrowly missed a sharp point of blade that which collided with her kunai a few seconds after.

She blinked and for a moment's glimpse, their eyes met, both narrowed and glaring.

'This person must be it!' she thought.

She was overwhelmed by her anxiety and shock of her realization that she realized it too late, he made a move to attack her, and she backed off, a mistake, she had nowhere to step on and she fell down.

* * *

She heard him snap angrily, following her, he jumped down his hand with his blade, once more aiming for her. She jumped up back to her feet and countered his attack by shooting a couple of shurikens towards his direction. 

The shurikens had grazed his arm, but he did so little to pay attention to it, instead, he focused on her still. She saw him dashing towards her and the next blink they clashed.

* * *

He was strong, and he had such speed, she could barely keep up her attacks, even her blocks. She fell back against the tree, her cheek grazed, her leg deeply cut, bleeding. She could not hold him off much longer and she gave a cry of anguish and fury. 

"Who are you!" she asked without thinking.

"That was suppose to be my question to you, a foreigner among my village you're approaching." He replied back calmly.

"Why do you harm me!" She screamed in anguish and fury as their fight continued.

"Of course, naturally with all your clothing, the skill display you did and your appearance, you are a ninja, a spy." He replied scornfully.

"Stop! Stop! Hold it!" she cried and using all her remaining energy and effort, she moved quickly around him and she stroke and pierced him several times, before he finally caught her arm, and shook the blade away from them.

* * *

She saw that even though, her weapon was far from her reach, she had hurt him deeply, at least enough that he was strongly weakened. He hissed at the damage she had done to him and with a final attempt to finish her off, he blew off a poisonous dart aiming for her though she dodged it, sliding once across the ground and stabbing him with a kunai on his shoulder. He tried to slash her with his poisoned sword before he gave a cry and fell down on the ground. She recoiled in surprise as she felt her sleeve torn apart and her left arm singeing to the touch of his sword, her blood staining the forest grounds. She cringed as she leaned back against a treed trunk, seeing him also do so. She eyed him with frustration and anger.

* * *

He was only half-conscious, his head lolling to one side as he blinked slowly, his breaths shallow. She had stabbed him deeply and her kunai was the deadliest weapon she held at that time, her kunai, with its tip dipped in poison. 

She reached for the inside folds of her garment and pulled out a small medicine box she carried. It contained most of her poisons she used and also their antidotes. She looked up at him and observed him carefully.

* * *

He had been staring at her for some time now, but he did not speak. He was all red with blood, and his garments hung limply about him, their sleeves ripped. His black scarf and hood, which covered his face, were now pulled back, revealing his face, a youth not much older than her, cheek marred with a gash by her slashes. His black hair hung loosely and she noticed, he had such onyx-colored eyes which flashed at her. 

She approached him with precaution, in case he made a move to kill her just then. Half kneeling, she kept a good distance between them, enough that he couldn't reach her with one move.

She took the antidote from her medicine bag and held it up for him to see though still beyond his reach.

"You are poisoned, and I have the only antidote that can save you. I want to ask you a question before I give this to you." She said.

He kept quiet but he glared at her, his eyes blazing among the foggy mist of the forest surrounding them. She decided to continue speaking then.

"When I was at the branch, why did you attempt to strike me, by any chance, tried to blind me through your blade?" she asked in a steady voice than she though she would have said it.

She saw him cringe and braced himself to try ease the pain that poison was giving him. Nevertheless, he kept quiet and would not answer.

"You're risking your life, you have only a little time. Just answer me, I just want to know why." She coaxed him, slowly extending her hand with the antidote to his reach.

He eyed her still, not budging, and she kept her gaze level.

He spoke up in a whisper, "…This is my life, and I could care less about risking it to death, than give you information which was not meant to be said. You are a ninja, you should know that."

She was taken aback by his words. Her lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. His facial expression suddenly changed when he saw her pull back her scarf, revealing her face.

"Yes I am a ninja, but I didn't mean to hurt you if you've mistaken me. I have my own task to finish but I don't want to run you over for no reason other than you tried to blind me with your sword. See? I am being fair, I want to help you and I'll let you know who I am for you to believe me. Just tell me why." She stated firmly.

He stared at her a long moment, before he shook his head, and he fell to the ground.

She gasped, but held back her scream of shock, as she moved towards his side, turning him on his back. She can still feel his pulse and his shallow breathing, but it was starting to fade away.

* * *

He blinked once, twice, and he saw the dark sky stretched above him. He could tell it was very late, and when he made a move to get up, he felt a sharp jolt of pain on his shoulder, and he was forced to lie back once more. He heard the night wind's whispers together with the rustling leaves, and he realized he was still in the forest. Forgetting his injury once more, he jerked up suddenly at the moment of his another realization, only to sink back to the ground once more in agony. 

'…Right! Why am I alive? I know it was poison, she poisoned me…and that time, I was dying, and I felt a burning pain inside me, she was by my side, and….what happened! Where is she?'

He pondered on this piece of memory and his cloud of thoughts over and over again but it was not long until he sensed her coming.

* * *

She jumped swiftly from tree to tree, carrying a small amount of provision she had gathered and she came to a halt, upon seeing him awake.

* * *

Though he was still weak and unable to move, his senses were not weakened anyhow and his eyes immediately looked up, exactly to where the direction she stood at halt, staring at him. As his hand slid down to his pouch, she jumped from the tree beside him and she laid a hand on top of his hand to prevent him from getting his dagger. 

"Don't fight with me, you are not healed yourself." She told him quietly.

His eyes blazed and in a few moments, he was on his feet though unsteady, and he raised his hand to strike her.

* * *

She moved away when she saw him stand and she accidentally kicked an empty vial, which rolled, stopping in front of him.

* * *

His hand stopped midway as he saw the vial and his eyes widened. In his mind, flashed back the memory he had earlier that day. It was the same vial that held the antidote she was holding out to him before he passed out. 

"…. You—…what did you do?" he asked her, picking up the empty vial.

She looked down, avoiding his gaze as she remembered her thought earlier when he collapsed. There's no point lying so she thought, might as well tell the truth.

"I poured it onto your wound, the rest I made you drink." She said looking up at him.

He placed the vial inside one of his pockets and for the first time as she saw him look at her, his face was calmed and his features softened. When he didn't speak up again, she questioned him in annoyance.

"…What! Please stop staring—"

"Why did you do it?" he cut her off mid-sentence.

She gasped, taken aback by his words. She squeezed her hands behind her as she tried to find a reason in her mind why she did it.

'It was a pity for him to die….I loved his onyx eyes…and his black hair….wait! No! What am I thinking! Shoot!'

"…I didn't mean to kill you through that poison. And I still wanted to know why you tried to kill me." She managed to answer at last.

He scoffed and he sat down once more, leaning against a trunk, careful to touch the wound on his shoulder. He noticed she had it wrapped by her own red scarf and looking back at her, he saw her for the first time.

* * *

Her sleeves were torn and ripped, and she wore a skirt, which reached barely above her knees. Her mauve colored hair hung loose about her and her face was full of fresh wounds and gashes. He noticed her arms and legs were full of dirt and blood but she paid no heed to them. 

She shifted from foot to foot beneath his gaze and her impatience grew by the seconds. She didn't like the feeling he was examining her and to keep her from getting mad at him, she sat down across from him and began to scratch stones for fire. She shivered, feeling cold without her scarf but she wouldn't let him know that. Unluckily though, he knew.

"What's your name?" he asked finally as he watched her make the fire before them.

She thought hard for a moment before she answered him.

'He seems nice. But it's not enough to completely trust him. Perhaps when time comes, but it won't be today.'

"I'm…Sakura." She replied.

He suddenly grabbed her arms and she stopped in the middle of scratching.

"You did not tend to yourself. Come." He stated and before she answered, he pulled her up with him and he started to walk slowly, gripping his shoulder as they headed deeper inside the forest. They stopped beside a small stream and they sat down.

* * *

She watched him search the folds of his garments, which seemed he did such a long time before he caught her looking at him. She quickly averted her gaze and instead, she moved nearer towards the water and began to wash the cuts on her face and arms. She then saw him pull out some bandage cloth and before she uttered a word of question or protest, he started bandaging her arm. 

She touched his hand, stopping him. "You're more hurt than I am, why do you use your medicine on me? You need it more than I do—"

"I'll survive, don't argue with me." He told her and she kept quiet then.

When he finished, he took a small bag from his garment, poured its contents before them, and afterwards he sprinkled it with water. A small campfire burned from it and as he turned back to face the stream, she spoke up once more.

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" she asked

* * *

Though his back turned to her, she saw him smile then. 

"You intimidate me."

She tensed, "I'm sorry, it's not like I meant to be intimidating—" she tried to defend herself but he only laughed and cut her off.

"You are not like any other ninja I've met before. Tell me, are your fellow ninjas like you or are you the only one like this?"

She frowned a moment and answered back in a snappy tone, not that she meant it to.

"I don't understand what you mean. I am a normal ninja, what is so intimidating about that?"

"You wouldn't have spared me if you are a ninja with the attitude just like the others. Yet, you gave me the antidote and I was stubborn for not answering you but in the end you gave in anyway. You did not wish to fight if it was not just, instead of choosing to run me over into a bloody fight. What manner of ninja is that?" he said.

She stood up shaking with frustration and anger at that, "I want you to know I am a normal ninja and I am a true ninja! You should not judge me for my differences as you say I am different, and if you had wanted me to be a ninja who'll run you over in a matter of seconds after seeing you, well too bad I'm not I guess you should find someone who'll give that to you." She turned around and started to walk away.

He grasped her hand firmly and pulled her back before she was out of reach.

"Sakura, wait."

She halted and she turned her head to look at him, "What?"

"Are you mad at me?" he asked eyeing her.

She looked away then, hiding her face in the shadows, as for the first time she realized, tears fell from her eyes. She sighed and tried to pull her arm away from his grasp but he would not let go.

"No, I'm not mad at you… just upset." She whispered.

"Come, sit down will you? I'm sorry." He tugged at her arm gently.

She breathed heavily and reluctantly doing so, she sat once more across from him.

"Forgive me?" he asked

She looked at him and strangely; she was not upset at him anymore. She nodded, smiling faintly. "Yes, I forgive you."

"Okay, It's not like I didn't like you and what you did. I just didn't expect you to be like that." He said.

She smirked, "Will you tell me your name then?"

He nodded once and a slight smile crossed his face, "Call me Sasuke." He replied.

She watched him as he took off his own cloak-scarf and started to wash it. His hands were starting to get numb with cold but he continued on, ignoring the icy feeling of the waters. She turned to face the fire and stretched out her hands to warm them.

* * *

He was taking so long at washing his scarf but he was actually watching her and her every move. She really interested him and he started to think how she could've possibly defeated him back there, so easily and remembering she was screaming all her frustration and anger at him, and now she's this youth just like him, and she was as nice as a ninja can ever be and anyone he could've met his whole life. His beads of thoughts broke as he heard her spoke once more. 

"…Will you also tell me why you tried to kill me back there?" she asked still gazing at the embers of the fire.

"I will tell you, if you tell me first what is your business here and why are you headed towards my village." He replied.

She turned to look at him but he already turned his gaze away. He was now drying his scarf just a foot above the fire, waiting for her to start her story.

She heaved a sigh before she gave in and told him, though not all of it, and not exact.

"I have a task. I am looking for someone. And I have to pass by your village according to the plan given to me. That is all I can tell you."

When he didn't spoke up in reaction, she nudged his arm. He seemed to be lost in space and jumped back when she called him.

"What?..!"

"Well? Aren't you going to tell me your side now?" she asked.

He laughed at her impatience, sighing as he turned to face her.

"This is my village you were about to enter, as you know. And as one of the ninjas in this village it is my duty to protect it from any stranger unknown. Today however, I mistook you for someone. I was wandering around the forest, because a fellow ninja told me the man we've been hunting for was seen around here lately. I mistook you, and for the reason that was why I tried to kill you. But you're a…woman and a youth, and you're not him and it was my fault, I'm sorry."

She smiled, "Okay. I understand it's reasonable enough."

He nodded once before he turned to look at the fire which was now burning low. She watched him as he smoothed his scarf a few times before he folded it in two. More to her surprise, he flung it around her, draped on her shoulders.

"…what are you—" she began as she tried to give it back to him.

"You're chilling, I know. And you don't have your scarf because you used it for my wound. I'm alright, don't catch a cold." Was all he said to her.

"But!—"

"Let's go." He said

Before she even knew what was happening, he took her arm and jumped up on the tree branches, heading out towards the other end of the forest, dragging her behind him.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, as she tried to catch up with him.

"To the village." He replied shortly.

"Wait," she pulled her arm away from his grasp and both of them stopped at a halt, "I can't stay, I must go in search as soon as I can. I don't have much time. I have to leave now—"

"What are you thinking! Heading off in the middle of the night! It's dark out there and you have your wounds to tend off too. You don't have much time but a night for rest wouldn't hurt the time of your search. I will take you to my home to rest." Sasuke said.

Sakura backed away, "That's not necessary, it's too much. You don't have to, I'm ok—" She turned away then, and made to go towards the other direction.

He scoffed, "Suit yourself then. I'm just telling you." He jumped off, leaving her.

* * *

Sakura turned and went off, but she had not gotten any farther when she stepped on a pebble and out of nowhere came a net over her, trapping her inside. She screamed in shock and horror then.

* * *

Sasuke stopped in the middle of his jumps and looked over his shoulder as he heard the scream. He whispered to himself as a smirk came across his face. "hmm…let's see where her resistance leads her."

* * *

A/n: And chapter one is done. This is a cliffy or not, it sort of is but it sort of isn't. Sorry the additions are kind of short. I will update sometime later. Please give me a reviews! Oh and btw, I changed the eyes see! Yay for me! But anyway…I have not much to say so…till then, I'll be back. 

Anime koukousei girl miyaru


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